3rd Update: Man, 25, receives shark bite off of North Jetty

posted 3:25 PM The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said it hasn't received the 25-year-old male victim's authorization to release his name as he is currently undergoing surgery.

The following is from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office:

On 10-30-2012, approximately 12:00 p.m., Cal Fire received a 911 call from a citizen who advised a surfer had been bitten by a shark at the North Jetty while surfing. The citizen advised Cal Fire the surfer was being attended to by other surfers who were loading the seriously injured surfer into a black pickup truck and transporting the surfer to an area hospital.

A Humboldt County Beach Patrol Deputy was patrolling the area about the same time and was flagged down by a citizen who asked the deputy if he was there for the shark attack. The deputy had not been dispatched yet to the scene and was unaware of the attack. The witness told the deputy the victim had already been transported.

The deputy responded to the local hospital and met with the 25-year-old adult male victim as he was going into surgery. The victim told the deputy he was bitten by a shark while surfing. The victim had an approximate 14 inch bite wound and other wounds on his body that required surgery.

The Times-Standard is still awaiting confirmation of the victim's name from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

posted 1:48 PM

According to witness accounts, the shark attack occurred at Bunker Surf Spot off the North Jetty. A number of people, including surfer David Hargrave were in the water when the attack occurred and heard the victim calling for help.

Hargrave and other witnesses said the victim was able to get to shore on his own power, but was bleeding profusely. An emergency medical technician was at the beach and able to apply pressure to the man's wounds while he was loaded into a vehicle to be transported to the hospital, witnesses said.

Blue Lake resident Jason Gabriel drove the victim from the water's edge to the intersection of U.S. Highway 101 and Myrtle Avenue, where they were met by emergency personnel. Gabriel said he doesn't know the victim, but put him in his truck as fast as he could.

"I happened to be driving by as they were pulling him out of the water," Gabriel said.

Gabriel said he'd just gotten out of the water himself after surfing and was headed home when he saw the victim.

"I was probably doing 110 mph, I've never seen anything like this in my life," Gabriel said.

He said the victim had about four 12-inch long gashes from his ribs to below his hips.

"It punctured all the way through. There were guts and meat hanging," Gabriel said, adding that the victim appeared to be in shock. "He was going 'Oh my God, oh my God.'"

posted 12:33 PM

A man bitten by a shark off the North Jetty today may not survive.

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office received a call at 12:11 p.m. indicating that a man had been bitten by a shark.

Lt. Steve Knight said the man, apparently a surfer, was being transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.